The State of Greece grants asylum in its territory in accordance with the European and Greek laws relating to asylum claim. In this legal brief, the International Consultations Group (ICG) provides the procedures that the applicant shall follow and the obstacles that may be met, in parallel with the presence of thousands of asylum seekers and migrants stranded in the Greek islands and the fact that Greece is one of the main ports of refugees and migrants to Europe. Since 2015, Greece has been at the heart of the refugee crisis, with thousands of civilians crossing the Greek border flee warfare and civil conflicts (mainly Syria, Iraq, Iran and Turkey) seeking international protection in Europe.
The importance of this brief lies in the legal analysis of the Dublin III which binding on the Greek government. It also presents the procedures governing the refugee status determination; the rights and obligations of both parties (state and refugee); the cases of deportation of refugees; the social protection system for refugees and the type of protection granted to persons who are not eligible for refugee status. The brief also focused on facilitating legal procedures for asylum seekers in Greece, to reinforces their legal statuses and provides them with support.
The ICG made some recommendations for the Greek government to regulate the refugee status, such as increasing the number of resettlement places and camps, in line with the current needs of refugees in Greece, and to ensure the protection of women and girls from precarious conditions in the current camps.